The Next Big Thing

Bellman Media
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Founders. Visionaries. Builders of what’s next. This isn’t just a podcast. It’s a search for the boldest ideas and the people bringing them to life — starting from the Gulf, reaching across the world. Each episode features raw, in-depth conversations with entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors who are reshaping industries, rewriting narratives, and building the future from the ground up. From deep tech to consumer brands, Dhahran to Dubai — The Next Big Thing uncovers the real stories behind breakthrough startups, untold struggles, and moments that changed everything.____Watch, Listen & Subscribe:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheNextBigThing_Media  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenextbigthing_media/    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/nextbigthing-media/  

  1. SEP 17

    The Falafel Economy Trap | The Next Big Thing - Dhahran

    What’s the falafel economy and why is it holding back real innovation in Saudi Arabia? In this episode of The Next Big Thing – Dhahran, Saleem Bitar discusses the mindset shifts and the five IQs founders need to build real innovative soluations. From leading tech initiatives at Aramco, Microsoft, Huawei, and Emerson to founding Sailor’s AI, Saleem has spent his career bringing technology closer to industry. Now, his mission is localisation, IP creation, and digital transformation In this episode of The Next Big Thing - Dhahran, Saleem goes deep on:  ⏵ The dangers of the falafel economy  ⏵ His learnings from the Silicon Valley  ⏵ Why localisation and IP matter for Saudi’s future  ⏵ What true digital transformation looks like on the ground  ⏵ The five IQs founders need to build something lasting  ⏵ The difference between Riyadh's and Dhahran's startup ecosystems It’s not just about avoiding the copying business. It’s about creating the mindset, culture, and capacity to build what’s next. This episode is hosted by Albara Nabil Alqurashi, the community manager of Dhahran Techno Valley. _____ ► Saleem Bitar – Ecosystem Builder & Digital Transformation Expert   https://www.linkedin.com/in/saleembitar/  ► Albara Nabil Alqurashi – Dhahran Techno Valley   https://www.linkedin.com/in/albara-nabil-alqurashi-11470a38/    In collaboration with Dhahran Techno Valley  https://www.linkedin.com/company/dhahran-techno-valley-dtv/  ____ 00:00 – Trailer 01:25 – Saleem's Diverse Career in Digital Transformation 05:05 – Why Localisation and IP Creation Matter 06:55 – Lessons from Silicon Valley and Building the same Ecosystem in Saudi Arabia 09:34 – Dhahran as the Hub for Innovation 11:35 – The Growing Digital Transformation in Saudi Arabia 15:25 – Difference between the Startup Ecosystem in Riyadh and Dhahran 19:58 – Saudi’s Transformation and Global Ambitions 24:26 – What Inspired Him in the Silicon Valley 27:52 – Albara’s Entrepreneurial Lessons from Accelerators and Incubators 32:00 – Why Founders Must Ask for Support 35:40 – Startups and Corporates are Two Completely Different Games 38:40 – The Falafel Economy Trap and Why Copying Kills Innovation 40:50 – The 5 IQs Every Founder Needs 42:50 – What Will Saleem Focus on in the Next 5 Years 45:32 – Advice for the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs ____  Follow for more inspiring founder stories.   📍 Subscribe to the YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheNextBigThing_Media  📍Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenextbigthing_media/   📍 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/nextbigthing-media/   📍 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4EfovpJ856I6b8RRzb0PJS?si=a5546ecd9ddb4dec   📍 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-big-thing/id1707012952

    49 min

  2. SEP 1

    How Space Is Saudi’s Next Infrastructure | The Next Big Thing - Dhahran

    Space Tech isn’t just about exploring space —  Saudi Arabia knows that and is building the future on it.  In this episode, Khalid AlMahfouz breaks down why space tech is becoming the Kingdom’s next major infrastructure play — not for rockets, but for real-world innovation across climate, health, AI, and national security.  From launching one of the first incubators in the Eastern Province to investing deep tech and space startups as an angel investor. Khalid has been shaping Saudi’s innovation ecosystem from the ground up.  What you’ll learn in this episode:  ⏵ How space tech is more than rockets — and why it matters  ⏵  Deep tech vs shallow tech — and why the stakes are higher  ⏵ How satellite data will power the next wave of digital transformation  ⏵ The rise of deep tech in Saudi and the Eastern Province  ⏵ The real opportunities in downstream space tech  ⏵ What it takes to build founders and ecosystems  This episode is hosted by Albara Nabil Alqurashi –  the community manager at Dhahran Techno Valley.  ____  ► Khalid Almahfouz – Angel Investor & Space Tech Expert  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyalmahfouz/   ► Albara Nabil Alqurashi – Dhahran Techno Valley  https://www.linkedin.com/in/albara-nabil-alqurashi-11470a38/   In collaboration with Dhahran Techno Valley  https://www.linkedin.com/company/dhahran-techno-valley-dtv/   ____  00:00 – Trailer   01:15 – Introduction   01:40 – How the Eastern Province Has Changed   02:38 – Childhood Curiosity and the Path to Tech   03:40 – Launching the BADIR Tech Incubator   05:52 – The Different Lessons from Working with Aramco, Government, and Startups   06:55 – Becoming an Angel Investor   08:40 – Why He’s Not a Founder   10:40 – The Founder’s Biggest Enemy Is Pride   12:45 – What Deep Tech Really Means   15:47 – Who’s Investing in Deep Tech in Saudi   17:02 – Why Deep Tech Needs a Different Framework   18:32 – Comparing Riyadh and the Eastern Province   20:25 – Building Deep Tech Communities That Matter   22:38 – What Space Tech Really Is (and Isn’t)   26:38 – Real Opportunities in Space Tech in Saudi Arabia   27:58 – Investing in Space Tech: Risks and Rewards   30:05 – Saudi’s Growing Talent in Space Tech   31:55 – Cross-Industry Opportunities: AI, Biotech, Health   35:05 – The Next 5–10 Years of Saudi Space Tech   36:40 – Hopes for the Eastern Province Ecosystem   37:55 – What Success Looks Like for a Space Tech Founder   38:55 – Final Advice for Founders  ____  Follow for more inspiring founder stories.   📍 Subscribe to the YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheNextBigThing_Media  📍Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenextbigthing_media/   📍 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/nextbigthing-media/   📍 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4EfovpJ856I6b8RRzb0PJS?si=a5546ecd9ddb4dec   📍 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-big-thing/id1707012952

    41 min
  3. The Team Culture Behind a $3M Startup Raise | The Next Big Thing - Riyadh

    AUG 21

    The Team Culture Behind a $3M Startup Raise | The Next Big Thing - Riyadh

    Everyone talks about raising. No one talks about building the right team.  In the first episode of The Next Big Thing – Riyadh Chapter, Mohamed Milyani, founder of Nqoodlet, shares the raw truth behind building in The Kingdom. From bootstrapping his first startups to now closing a $3M round for Nqoodlet - a Saudi Fintech platform helping SMEs manage and automate their financial operations.  But the episode isn’t about money.  It’s about what happens behind the scenes:  ⏵ How to choose the right cofounder — and survive hard moments  ⏵ The argument that brought the team even closer together  ⏵ Building a startup based on a personal pain ⏵ What it’s like leading a 75% female and Gen Z team  ⏵ How it's the Golden Age of startups now in Saudi Arabia This episode is hosted by Hasan Jabarti, serial entrepreneur and key player in Saudi’s growing startup scene.  For anyone building in the GCC — or trying to understand what real leadership looks like in a shifting ecosystem — this episode delivers.  ____  ► Mohamed Milyani – CEO of Nqoodlet  https://www.linkedin.com/in/milyani/  ► Hasan Jabarti – Host & Ecosystem Builder in Saudi Arabia  https://www.linkedin.com/in/hasanjabarti/  ___ Chapter:  00:00 – Introduction 01:40 – Childhood & early entrepreneurial spirit at age 7 02:34 – Discovering computers and falling in love with the internet 03:10 – Launching his first website business in the early 2000s 05:10 – Becoming an Apple instructor 05:52 – Writing his first book on Apple products 06:52 – Starting Lucidiya, his first AI company 08:22 – Why Saudi Arabia wasn’t ready for a venture builder 09:50 – Entering fintech and spotting real problems 10:32 – Being an entrepreneur and a hustler 12:57 – Wanting to build legacy 13:54 – Cofounder rules: transparency, full trust, shared decisions 16:10 – When challenges reveal true cofounder compatibility 17:35 – Yara joins as cofounder during the hardest phase 21:05 – Working with a young team and female Saudi cofounder 22:55 – Why 75% of the team is women 23:17 – Building culture intentionally, inspired by Apple 25:10 – Why now is the golden era for Saudi startups 26:45 – The rise of enablers: VCs, accelerators, and Vision 2030 29:02 – Post-bubble: How the investment landscape shifted 31:02 – Closing a $3M round for Nqoodlet 32:15 – What’s next: A product roadmap for solving SME finance 34:30 – Advice to the next generation of Saudi founders 36:15 – “The most important thing is the culture” ___ Follow for more inspiring founder stories.  📍 Subscribe to the YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheNextBigThing_Media  📍Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenextbigthing_media/  📍 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/nextbigthing-media/ 📍 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4EfovpJ856I6b8RRzb0PJS?si=a5546ecd9ddb4dec  📍 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-big-thing/id1707012952

    38 min
  4. Conquering Deep Tech from Saudi's Eastern Province | The Next Big Thing - Dhahran

    AUG 12

    Conquering Deep Tech from Saudi's Eastern Province | The Next Big Thing - Dhahran

    What happens when you choose to conquer deep tech in Saudi Arabia? In this first episode of The Next Big Thing - Dhahran, we sit down with Srrah Algheithy, co-founder and CEO of Sustainable Innovations, a hardware and product development company based in Dhahran. She shares how she went to study electrical engineering abroad, to building solar-powered cars and racing them across the Australian desert, managing data centers at Saudi Aramco, and co-founding a deep tech company. This episode is hosted by Rawan Nasser, a multimedia reporter from the Eastern Province itself. This is the untold story of building real technology in Dhahran — not the buzzword kind, but the kind that solves physical problems and redefines what’s possible in a region built on oil.  You’ll learn: ► Why Srrah chose electrical engineering in a family of academics ► Lessons from building solar-powered race cars ► How studying abroad built resilience ► Managing data centers at Aramco ► Leaving safety to join a hard tech development company as a co-founder ► Redefining what "sustainable" means ► The mindset needed to build deep tech in the Gulf This conversation is a reminder that big things start quietly — and sometimes in places no one’s watching. ______ ► Srrah Algheithy – CEO of Sustainable Innovations https://www.linkedin.com/in/salgheithy/  https://www.linkedin.com/company/sinnovsa/   ► Rawan Nasser – Multimedia Reporter  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rawan-nasser/?    In collaboration with Dhahran Techno Valley https://www.linkedin.com/company/dhahran-techno-valley-dtvc-/  ______  Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 01:50 – Passion for Taking on Challenges 03:07 – Being a Woman in Engineering 04:15 – How Studying Abroad Shaped Her 05:27 – Srrah’s Career at Saudi Aramco 07:24 – Joining Sustainable Innovations as Co-founder 09:30 – Competing at the Australian Solar Car Race 12:27 – The Importance of Owning Your Technology 14:36 – Becoming the CEO of Sustainable Innovations 15:39 – The Challenges of Time Management 16:50 – Redefining What “Sustainable” Means 17:50 – Innovating with the Market in Mind 19:40 – Unique Challenges of Deep Tech 21:05 – Challenges of Being an Entrepreneur 22:35 – The Importance of Building Deep Tech 23:59 – The Status Quo of Deep Tech in Saudi Arabia 25:25 – Why Dhahran Is the Right Place for Deep Tech 27:45 – How Dhahran Techno Valley Is Enabling Innovation 29:55 – Challenges for Founders in Saudi Arabia 31:54 – Comparing the Saudi Ecosystem Globally 33:06 – What the Saudi Ecosystem Still Needs 34:55 – How the Saudi Ecosystem Is Evolving 37:02 – Advice for New Founders 38:55 – What’s Next for Sustainable Innovations ______ Follow for more inspiring founder stories.  📍 Subscribe to the YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheNextBigThing_Media  📍Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenextbigthing_media/  📍 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/nextbigthing-media/

    41 min

  5. 10/09/2024

    Building Tech Giants in Saudi Arabia: The Next Wave of Innovation | The Next Big Thing s02 e09

    The Next Big Thing is the 24six9 Community Podcast. Our goal is to foster collaboration and synergy within the startup community and empower aspiring entrepreneurs by sharing the experiences and wisdom of successful startup founders. Joining us today, we have  ► Hasan Jabarti - Serial Entrepreneur  https://www.linkedin.com/in/hasanjabarti/ ► Waleed A. Alballaa - General Partner, Sukna Ventures https://www.linkedin.com/in/ballaa/  ► Anamaria Meshkurti - Investor & Advisor https://www.linkedin.com/in/anamaria-meshkurti/ ► Javier Sanchez-Marco - Entrepreneur & Business Angel https://www.linkedin.com/in/javiersanchezmarco/   Follow us on our social media!  → https://www.instagram.com/tnbt_podcast/ → https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/99827774 Are you a startup or entrepreneur and want to join the community? Reach out to us! We're always looking for like-minded individuals who want to challenge the norms and shake a few cages.  → https://www.linkedin.com/company/81589189

    47 min

  6. 08/22/2024

    Evolution of the investing markets and valuation in the Middle East region | The Next Big Thing s02 e08

    The Next Big Thing is the 24six9 Community Podcast. Our goal is to foster collaboration and synergy within the startup community and empower aspiring entrepreneurs by sharing the experiences and wisdom of successful startup founders. Joining us today, we have ►Egor Romanyuk - Investor & Entrepreneur https://www.linkedin.com/in/egor-romanyuk-21a548187/ ►Jamil Shinawi - Co-Founder & CEO of AHOY and Actual VC https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamilshinawi/ ►Saeed Alajou - Active investor https://www.linkedin.com/in/saeed-alajou-5b2a2032/ ►Grigorii Trubkin -  Managing partner at 1802 Ventures https://www.linkedin.com/in/grigoriitrubkin/ Follow us on our social media! → https://www.instagram.com/tnbt_podcast/ → https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/99827774 Are you a startup or entrepreneur and want to join the community? Reach out to us! We're always looking for like-minded individuals who want to challenge the norms and shake a few cages. → https://www.linkedin.com/company/81589189

    57 min

  7. 07/24/2024

    Female Focused Investing: Is Isolating the Category Helping Equality or Hurting it? | The Next Big Thing s02 e07

    The Next Big Thing is the 24six9 Community Podcast. Our goal is to foster collaboration and synergy within the startup community and empower aspiring entrepreneurs by sharing the experiences and wisdom of successful startup founders. Joining us today, we have: ►Nissrine Elqobai – Co-founder & CEO | ENY Consulting https://www.linkedin.com/in/nissrine-elqobai-57970a43/ ►Benedetta Balducci - Private Equity Specialist | London Business School https://www.linkedin.com/in/benedetta-balducci-648069a/ ►Eva Kazanskaia - Startup Advisor and CEO | Vanguard Ventures https://www.linkedin.com/in/eva-kazanskaia-4b29a8142/ ►Yasmin Megerisi - Co-founder and CEO | Zilouet https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasmin-megerisi-1215b529/ Follow us on our social media! → https://www.instagram.com/tnbt_podcast/ → https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/99827774 Are you a startup or entrepreneur and want to join the community? Reach out to us! We're always looking for like-minded individuals who want to challenge the norms and shake a few cages. → https://www.linkedin.com/company/81589189

    49 min

  8. 07/10/2024

    Eureka Moment: Are Entrepreneurial 'Aha' Moments Overrated? | The Next Big Thing s02 e06

    The Next Big Thing is the 24six9 Community Podcast. Our goal is to foster collaboration and synergy within the startup community and empower aspiring entrepreneurs by sharing the experiences and wisdom of successful startup founders. Joining us today, we have ► Khurram P. - Founder & CEO of Xreadylab and PlayNet https://www.linkedin.com/in/khurrampirov/ ► Muthana Shirzad - CEO of Protium Technologies https://www.linkedin.com/in/muthana-shirzad-25305919/ ► David Washbrook - Founder & CEO of Red Sea Reef Builders https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-w-40b769b9/ ► Munther Walid - Founder of COOLNRAD Follow us on our social media! → https://www.instagram.com/tnbt_podcast/ → https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/99827774 Are you a startup or entrepreneur and want to join the community? Reach out to us! We're always looking for like-minded individuals who want to challenge the norms and shake a few cages. → https://www.linkedin.com/company/81589189

    1 hr
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About

Founders. Visionaries. Builders of what’s next. This isn’t just a podcast. It’s a search for the boldest ideas and the people bringing them to life — starting from the Gulf, reaching across the world. Each episode features raw, in-depth conversations with entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors who are reshaping industries, rewriting narratives, and building the future from the ground up. From deep tech to consumer brands, Dhahran to Dubai — The Next Big Thing uncovers the real stories behind breakthrough startups, untold struggles, and moments that changed everything.____Watch, Listen & Subscribe:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheNextBigThing_Media  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenextbigthing_media/    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/nextbigthing-media/  

Information

  • Creator
    Bellman Media
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 The Next Big Thing
  • Show Website
    The Next Big Thing